When I received this burl as part of a larger shipment, it was in such poor shape that the timber cutter didn't think I'd be able to do much with it ... "but I might as well take it anyway". As soon as I started shaping it, I knew that the wood was pretty special.

I opted for a fairly glossy finish because there is so much texture and detail that needs to be brought out and I didn't think my satin finish would do it justice. While I was shaping and sanding, there were literally pieces of the soft pith-wood falling out leaving perforations which pass right through the thin walls of the bowl. This dramatically adds to the overall texture of the piece. There are also lots of small 'birdseye' hard woody 'knots' through part of the burl.

This is not a particularly large bowl ... about half the size of a basketball ... but is a perfect example of when "size doesn't necessarily count!